It%20was%20understandable%20for%20the%20British%20to%20invoke%20sedition%20laws%20against%20even%20the%20most%20feeble%20voices%20of%20dissent.%20Freedom%20fighters%2C%20artists%2C%20writers%20and%20journalists%20often%20fell%20on%20their%20target%20as%20intolerance%20of%20imperialists%20knew%20no%20bounds.

More%20often%20than%20not%2C%20punitive%20action%20was%20far%20disproportionate%20to%20the%20%u201Coffence%u201D%20committed.%20But%20the%20focus%20of%20the%20Raj%20used%20to%20be%20on%20sending%20a%20message%20of%20deterrence%20so%20that%20it%20could%20curb%20the%20tendency%20of%20defiance%20among%20those%20who%20believed%20in%20and%20sought%20to%20practice%20freedom%20of%20thought.

Significantly%2C%20however%2C%20even%20under%20such%20hostile%20conditions%2C%20there%20were%20some%20British%20writers%20who%20dared%20the%20crown%20by%20flaying%20the%20Raj%20for%20its%20excesses%20against%20fundamental%20liberties%20%u2013%20freedom%20of%20press%20being%20among%20the%20foremost.%26nbsp%3B

%3Cstrong%3EAlso%20Read%20%7C%3C/strong%3E%20%3Ca%20target%3D%22_blank%22%20rel%3D%22noopener%20noreferrer%22%20href%3D%22https%3A//opoyi.com/asaduddin-owaisis-palpable-threat-in-azamgarh-shakes-akhilesh-yadav-out-of-his-slumber%22%3E%3Cstrong%3EAsaduddin%20Owaisi%u2019s%20palpable%20threat%20in%20Azamgarh%20shakes%20Akhilesh%20Yadav%20out%20of%20his%20slumber%3C/strong%3E%3C/a%3E

In%20fact%2C%20it%20was%20a%20British%20who%20introduced%20the%20concept%20of%20%u201Cindependent%20journalism%u201D%20in%20the%20sub%20continent.%26nbsp%3BJames%20Augustus%20Hicky%2C%20also%20referred%20to%20as%20%22father%20of%20Indian%20press%22%2C%20a%20British%20citizen%20was%20known%20for%20introducing%20first%20newspaper%20in%20the%20country%20during%20the%20British%20rule.%20Hicky%20wrote%20articles%20independently%20on%26nbsp%3Bcorruption%20and%20other%26nbsp%3Bscandals%26nbsp%3Bwithout%20naming%20the%20officials.%26nbsp%3B

To%20avoid%26nbsp%3Blawsuits%2C%20he%20used%20multiple%20nicknames%20while%20referring%20to%20the%20authorities%20throughout%20his%20articles.%20But%20a%20day%20came%20in%201807%20when%20his%20paper%2C%20Bengal%20Gazette%20was%20seized%20by%20the%20Raj%20for%20publishing%20%u201Canti-Government%u201D%20articles.

Ironically%2C%20seven%20decades%20after%20India%20became%20independent%2C%20scribes%20appear%20to%20be%20living%20under%20some%20kind%20of%20a%20similar%20threat%20-that%20echoed%20only%20once%20later%20during%20the%20dark%20days%20of%20the%20emergency.%20Even%20routine%20reporting%20seems%20to%20be%20becoming%20difficult%20as%20even%20an%20error%20or%20judgement%20could%20be%20misconstrued%20by%20the%20powers%20that%20be%20as%20an%20%u201Canti-national%u201D%20act.%26nbsp%3B

Barely%2048%20hours%20after%20the%20Republic%20Day%2C%20%3Ca%20target%3D%22_blank%22%20rel%3D%22noopener%20noreferrer%22%20href%3D%22https%3A//opoyi.com/r-day-violence-editors-guild-condemns-firs-against-journalists-demands-withdrawal%22%3Efive%20top%20journalists%20of%20the%20country%20were%20booked%20by%20the%20Uttar%20Pradesh%20police%3C/a%3E%20for%20misreporting.%20And%20they%20included%20the%20likes%20of%20Rajdeep%20Sardesai%2C%20consulting%20editor%20of%20India%20Today%20TV%2C%20Mrinal%20Pandey%2C%20Editor%20of%20National%20Herald%20Hindi%20publications%2C%20Zafar%20Agha%2C%20editor%20of%20National%20Herald%20and%20Qaumi%20Awaz%2C%20Anant%20Nath%20and%20Vinod%20Jose%20of%20The%20Caravan.

Interestingly%2C%20it%20was%20not%20the%20Delhi%20Police%20or%20the%20Union%20Home%20Ministry%2C%20but%20the%20UP%20Police%20which%20chose%20to%20join%20issues%20with%20these%20scribes.%20It%20is%20another%20matter%20that%20not%20very%20long%20ago%20the%20same%20UP%20police%20went%20out%20of%20its%20way%20to%20come%20to%20the%20rescue%20of%20Republic%20TV%20Editor%20Arnab%20Goswami%20when%20he%20got%20caught%20in%20the%20TRP%20scam.

While%20cases%20of%20heinous%20crimes%20like%20rape%2C%20murder%2C%20extortion%20or%20major%20crimes%20against%20women%20may%20continue%20to%20rise%20in%20the%20country%27s%20most%20populous%20state%2C%20the%20cops%20here%20have%20found%20it%20convenient%20to%20charge%20these%20scribes%20of%20sedition%20simply%20because%20they%20misreported%20that%20the%20death%20of%20the%20young%20Sikh%20who%20got%20crushed%20under%20his%20own%20tractor%20was%20the%20result%20of%20a%20%u201Cbullet%20fire%u201D.%26nbsp%3B

%3Cstrong%3EAlso%20Read%20%7C%3C/strong%3E%20%3Ca%20target%3D%22_blank%22%20rel%3D%22noopener%20noreferrer%22%20href%3D%22https%3A//opoyi.com/violence-aftermath-prominent-farmer-leaders-named-in-fir-two-unions-withdraw-from-stir-security-beefed-up-in-delhi%22%3E%3Cstrong%3EViolence%20aftermath%3A%20Prominent%20farmer%20leaders%20named%20in%20FIR%2C%20two%20unions%20withdraw%20from%20stir%3C/strong%3E%3C/a%3E

Whether%20they%20tweeted%20or%20put%20out%20flashes%20on%20the%20basis%20of%20spot%20reporting%20by%20their%20respective%20reporters%2C%20they%20did%20make%20it%20a%20point%20to%20either%20withdraw%20their%20tweets%20or%20issue%20correction%20once%20it%20was%20confirmed%20that%20the%20death%20was%20attributable%20to%20an%20accident%20as%20the%20young%20protestor%20lost%20control%20over%20his%20own%20speeding%20tractor.

Yet%2C%20the%20FIR%2C%20lodged%20by%20one%20Arpit%20Misra%20much%20later%20during%20the%20day%2C%20accused%20each%20of%20the%20journalists%20of%20reporting%20with%20prejudice%20and%20%u201Cputting%20the%20lives%20of%20people%20as%20well%20as%20national%20safety%20and%20security%20in%20jeopardy%u201D.

Clearly%20blowing%20it%20all%20out%20of%20proportion%2C%20the%20FIR%20alleged%2C%20%u201Cthese%20people%20deliberately%20made%20malicious%2C%20offensive%2C%20misleading%20and%20provocative%20statements%20and%20tweeted%20that%20police%20killed%20a%20protesting%20tractor%20driver%u201D.

%3Cstrong%3EAlso%20Read%20%7C%3C/strong%3E%20%3Ca%20target%3D%22_blank%22%20rel%3D%22noopener%20noreferrer%22%20href%3D%22https%3A//opoyi.com/two-organisations-pull-out-of-farmers-agitation-a-day-after-tractor-rally-chaos%22%3E%3Cstrong%3ETwo%20organisations%20pull%20out%20of%20farmers%27%20agitation%2C%20a%20day%20after%20tractor%20rally%20chaos%3C/strong%3E%3C/a%3E

Terming%20the%20misreporting%20as%20%u201Cfalse%20information%u201D%2C%20the%20FIR%20went%20to%20the%20extent%20of%20giving%20it%20the%20colour%20of%20a%20%u201Cplanned%20conspiracy%u201D.%20Attributing%20all%20kinds%20of%20wild%20motives%20to%20the%20misreporting%2C%20the%20FIR%20sought%20to%26nbsp%3Badd%2C%20%u201Cit%20was%20done%20with%20malafide%20intent%20so%20that%20riots%20take%20place%20at%20a%20large%20scale%20and%20tensions%20are%20created%20between%20different%20communities%u201D.

As%20if%20that%20was%20not%20enough%2C%20the%20complainant%20went%20to%20the%20extent%20of%20accusing%20the%20journalists%20for%20being%20responsible%20for%20provoking%20the%20protesting%20farmers%20to%20reach%20Lal%20Qila%20and%20to%20hoist%20their%20religious%20flag%20there.%20Going%20a%20step%20further%2C%20the%20FIR%20accused%20the%20journalists%20of%20doing%20all%20that%20%u201Cfor%20personal%20and%20political%20gains%u201D.

Interestingly%2C%20every%20word%20of%20the%20FIR%20was%20taken%20as%20gospel%20truth%20by%20the%20UP%20cops%20who%20chose%20to%20book%20the%20journalists%20at%20the%20Noida%20Sector%2020%20police%20station%20for%20committing%20some%20anti-national%20act.

The%20fact%20that%20the%20India%20Today%20management%20decided%20to%20take%20Rajdeep%20Sardesai%20off-air%20on%20that%20account%20clearly%20reflects%20that%20pressure%20built%20by%20the%20ruling%20dispensation%2C%20whose%20intolerance%20against%20any%20kind%20of%20dissent%20is%20an%20open%20secret.

While%20this%20mega%20drama%20was%20being%20staged%20in%20NCR%2C%20around%20the%20same%20time%2C%20three%20other%20local%20journalists%20were%20finding%20themselves%20at%20the%20receiving%20end%20in%20a%20small%20town%20of%20Kanpur%20%28Rural%29%20district.%20In%20this%20case%2C%20the%20journalists%20had%20not%20even%20indulged%20in%20any%20kind%20of%20misreporting.%26nbsp%3B

All%20they%20had%20done%20was%20to%20highlight%20how%20the%20diktat%20issued%20by%20a%20petty%20basic%20education%20officer%20had%20compelled%20little%20children%20of%20putting%20up%20a%20%u2018yoga%u2019%20performance%20in%20the%20open%20on%20a%20dull%20chilly%20morning%20of%20the%20Republic%20Day%20without%20wearing%20a%20single%20woolen%20clothing.%20Yet%2C%20an%20FIR%20was%20registered%20against%20them%20for%20what%20was%20described%20as%20%u201Cfake%20news%u201D.

%3Cstrong%3EAlso%20Read%20%7C%3C/strong%3E%20%3Ca%20target%3D%22_blank%22%20rel%3D%22noopener%20noreferrer%22%20href%3D%22https%3A//opoyi.com/thousands-attend-mahapanchayat-in-support-of-bkus-protest-against-farm-laws%22%3E%3Cstrong%3EHundreds%20join%20%27Mahapanchayat%27%20in%20UP%20after%20clip%20of%20farmer%20leader%20in%20tears%20goes%20viral%3C/strong%3E%3C/a%3E

The%20reporters%u2019%20story%20was%20substantiated%20with%20pictures%20of%20the%20children%20performing%20their%20exercises%20in%20shorts%20and%20half%20-sleeve%20shirts%20without%20a%20sweater%20or%20cardigan%2C%20while%20teachers%20and%20school%20staff%20can%20be%20seen%20well-covered%20with%20woolens.%20The%20education%20officer%20accused%20the%20scribes%20of%20%u201Ctarnishing%u201D%20the%20image%20of%20the%20administration%20by%20putting%20out%20the%20story%20and%20pictures.

When%20he%20was%20questioned%20by%20the%20state%20director%20general%20of%20education%20Vijay%20Kiran%20Anand%2C%20the%20officer%20sought%20to%20cook%20up%20another%20story.%26nbsp%3B

%u201CThe%20children%20were%20asked%20to%20remove%20their%20sweaters%20just%20for%20a%20few%20minutes%20so%20that%20they%20could%20carry%20out%20yoga%20exercises%20with%20ease%20and%20these%20journalists%20clicked%20pictures%20at%20that%20time%2C%u201D%20he%20is%20stated%20to%20have%20told%20the%20DG%2C%20who%20said%2C%20%u201Ceach%20of%20those%20children%20had%20woolen%20sweaters%20given%20to%20them%20under%20the%20government%20program.%u201D

Not%20very%20long%20ago%2C%20another%20journalist%20was%20booked%20because%20he%20brought%20out%20visuals%20of%20some%20poor%20people%20feeding%20on%20grass%20in%20a%20village.%20Even%20the%20reporting%20of%20the%20unlawful%20and%20forced%20cremation%20of%20the%20Hathras%20gang-rape%20victim%20was%20sought%20to%20be%20termed%20as%20%u201Cfake%u201D%20or%20%u201Cdistorted%u201D%20news%20aimed%20with%20the%20intent%20of%20inciting%20riots.%20The%20list%20is%20long.%26nbsp%3B%26nbsp%3B

There%20was%20a%20time%20when%20any%20of%20such%20reporting%20would%20be%20rewarded%20as%20a%20commendable%20piece%20of%20journalism.%20Apparently%20if%20the%20current%20trend%20continues%2C%20the%20day%20may%20not%20be%20far%20when%20news%20reports%20would%20comprise%20only%20official%20press%20releases%2C%20while%20true%20journalism%20would%20become%20history.%20The%20old%20saying%20%u2013%20%u2018dog%20bites%20man%20is%20no%20news%u2019%20%3B%20%u2018man%20bites%20dog%20is%u2019%20%u2013%20is%20in%20for%20a%20forced%20death.

%3Ca%20class%3D%22mention%22%20data-mention%3D%22%23Media%22%20data-user-id%3D%22hcriWNCP550T%22%20href%3D%22/topic/media%22%3E%23Media%3C/a%3E%20%3Ca%20class%3D%22mention%22%20data-mention%3D%22%23UPPolice%22%20data-user-id%3D%22oC2yPNrGIb97%22%20href%3D%22/topic/uppolice%22%3E%23UPPolice%3C/a%3E%20%3Ca%20class%3D%22mention%22%20data-mention%3D%22%23TractorRally%22%20data-user-id%3D%22kERxAmETNp1x%22%20href%3D%22/topic/tractor-rally%22%3E%23TractorRally%3C/a%3E%20%3Ca%20class%3D%22mention%22%20data-mention%3D%22%23FarmLaws%22%20data-user-id%3D%22mZ9Lh9yZZ33C%22%20href%3D%22/topic/farmlaws%22%3E%23FarmLaws%3C/a%3E%20%3Ca%20class%3D%22mention%22%20data-mention%3D%22%23Journalism%22%20data-user-id%3D%22ciWzhENzlyy8%22%20href%3D%22/topic/journalism%22%3E%23Journalism%3C/a%3E%20%3Ca%20class%3D%22mention%22%20data-mention%3D%22%23RepublicDay%22%20data-user-id%3D%22ecdMfDh43NxG%22%20href%3D%22/topic/republic-day%22%3E%23RepublicDay%3C/a%3E%20%26nbsp%3B